Quick Trip to Albertsons. Saved 79% and 85%

Click on the photo to get a better look at the savings!

Receipt #1: (left) I purchased 22 items, spent $31, saved $47.63 for a $79% savings. 


Plus I received a 5% off Catalina for a future purchase AND the cashier and I both missed a 55 cents off coupon on one package of meat. Even after almost two years of pairing coupons with sales, I still miss those peelies! I did catch two others that the cashier missed. Those were each for a free four-pack of King's Hawaiian Rolls with the purchase of meat. What I didn't notice is that the price for those was $1.09 each and the "free with purchase" coupon took off $1.00. I didn't see the peelie to see if it had a limit. Yes, it's only 18 cents, but it all adds up over time. It also looks like on my receipt, the cashier missed using one of my three doubler coupons. That's another $1.00. Since we get reimbursed for the deposit we pay on recycling for cans and glass here in Oregon, when I take in my recycling receipts to cash in and visit the pharmacy, I'll take my receipt from this purchase, along with the 55 cent peelie, and mention both the King's Hawaiian Rolls and the $1.00 doubler coupon. That will be $1.73 in my pocket.


I also used a manufacturer's coupon for a free full-size bottle of Nestle Coffee-Mate Fat Free French Vanilla that I got from either a Facebook or Coffee-Mate website offer. Be on the lookout for free or money off coupons on your favorite products' websites or Facebook pages! I also got brats, steak tips, and sausage crumbles that were all on sale and three boxes of Wheat Thins Crunch Stix. See scenario for the Wheat Thins below.


Receipt #2: (right) Two items, paid 98 cents, saved $5.60 for savings of 85%.  


Since Albertsons has a limit of three doubler coupons per transaction, I did a separate transaction. These were the new Nabisco product called Wheat Thins Crunch Stix. The come in four flavors, Chipotle Pepper, Honey Wheat, Fire Roasted Tomato, and Cinnamon Kick. The 4/17/11 Sunday paper had a $1.00 coupon for this product, and the Sunday paper also had three Albertsons doubler coupons which will double any manufacturer's coupon up to $1.00. Albertsons had the Stix on sale for $2.49 / box, so with stacking the manufacturer's and Albertsons coupons, I paid 49 cents per box. Not bad for a tasty new treat!


I will say that as far as the meat goes, if you work full-time or in the morning, it is hard to catch good meat markdowns since early morning is when most meat departments do their markdowns. However, you can send a relative or a friend who is available and split the purchase. If purchased on a Friday, you can hang with your friend or family member on a Saturday for a freezer cooking day. Put together some dishes that you both like using the meat one of you purchased, then split the bounty.


You can save money the way I did today. I follow various blogs via Facebook that post sales and coupon match-ups so all I have to do is buy the Sunday paper, or order my coupons online. You don't have to cut out ALL of the coupons, just the ones you need. Share other coupons you're not using with your friends. My friends and I even print coupons for each other since most sites have a limit. Shh! Don't tell. :-) I'll talk about these websites, how and where to buy coupons, and more in future posts.


Questions? Post in the comments section below and thanks for following SAHMonomics!

Quick Tip: Coupon Sharing

Are you new to couponing but do not have anyone nearby with whom you can trade or share extras? Don't forget about your friends on the other side of the country! I received an envelope FULL of great coupons from my friend Ronda in Ohio today. (Thanks, Ro!) I also sent one to her today, and two others earlier this week. Even though my coupon-using buddies are far away, we can still look out for each other's favorites.

 Ronda has an in-person coupon trading group back in Ohio, and for any coupons that I send her that she neither wants nor needs, she shares those with the other folks in her group. Some stores even have a basket near the front door where folks can put their unwanted coupons and Catalinas. My local Fred Meyer has just such a basket near the carts by the front door.

Make sure to trade ISO (In Search Of) product lists with your friends.  Also, if there are coupons that you can print online, but are for stores that your friends have, but you do not, then you can share those as well.

Happy couponing!

Quick Tip: Catalinas - Plan Ahead!

Some savings sites or Catalina ads will tell you what you can buy in order to generate ONYO (On Your Next Order) money-off Catalina coupons. If you know that you are purchasing something that will generate an ONYO money-off Catalina, then tell the cashier that you have two transactions, and buy that item first! Then, use your ONYO money-off Catalina on your very next purchase. This helps you to note forget to use it in the future. It's no fun to find one of those valuable Catalinas at the bottom of your shopping bag or at the back of your coupon folder.

Also, in the event I'm in a rush and do not use the ONYO money-off Catalina right away, I put it with my method of payment (folded into cash or around my credit card) so it's just about impossible to miss during my next trip to the store. Also, every time I pull out the cash or credit card at another store, I'm reminded that the Catalina is there waiting to save me money!

Quick Tip: Pay Attention to Catalinas!

If you're saying, "Catalina? What's that?" then let me quickly explain. Do you remember those long, skinny coupons that you sometimes get at the check-out along with your receipt? Well, those are Catalinas. Sometimes they are coupons, sometimes they are ads. Well, don't just toss them in the recycling bin when they are ads, listen up!

Recently, there was a Catalina ad for Maxwell House International cafe. It stated that starting on a certain date, when you bought a certain number of that item, you would receive a Catalina good for money off on your next purchase. Silly me! I drink that stuff like a fiend, but didn't hold on to the ad. I found a sale on a certain flavor, at a certain Albertson's, and now cannot remember how many I need to buy to get the various money-off Catalinas. I found that I was safe in purchasing six items, as that got me the maximum reward of $3 off OYNO (On Your Next Order). But what if it were four items? I would only have to buy four to get the ONYO Catalina. So, the moral of the story is, pay attention to those Catalina ads as a part of your overall couponing and savings strategy!